1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to foodstuffs, more particularly, bread containing alfalfa.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Only in the last decade or so has civilized man become aware of the beneficial effects of nonnutritive fibers which are present in substantial quantities in the diet of more primative cultures. The absence of these fibers in the diet of western man has been linked to such ailments as colon cancer and cardiovascular disease. See Spiller et al, "Role of Dietary Fiber in Nutrition", Food Product Development, p. 31, September 1974.
In the past bread and other products made from doughs have been formulated to contain nonnutritive fibers, usually in the form of bran or cellulose aggregates. The purpose of these nonnutritive additives, however, has been merely to serve as filler to reduce the caloric level of the foodstuff. See U.S. Pat. No. 3,574,634 to Singer. Bread containing vegetable nutrients such as finely divided spinach or vegetable flours has also been formulated as a means for introducing the nutrient into the human diet. See Savale, U.S. Pat. No. 2,264,721 and Tsen et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,752,675.
Recent studies by one of the present inventors have shown that alfalfa, a material not normally in the human diet, functions "in vitro" and "in vivo" in rats as an effective hypocholesteremic agent. See Kritchevsky et al, "Isocaloric, Isogravic Diets in Rats", Nutrition Reports International, Vol. 9, No. 5, May 1974. Alfalfa has the ability to bind from about 9 to 35 times as much bile salts as other nonnutritive fibers. See Kritchevsky, "Binding of Bile Salts in Vitro by Nonnutritive Fiber", Journal of Nutrition, Vol. 104, No. 4, April 1974.
A serious problem is presented, however in the application to humans of this information gained by feeding alfalfa to laboratory animals. The quantity of alfalfa determined by applicants as necessary to have a beneficial effect in humans is too large to make tablets or other direct forms of ingestion feasible. Furthermore, the taste and odor of alfalfa are generally unpleasant and unacceptable to humans in most forms. It is, therefore, highly desirable to provide a foodstuff, common in the diet of western man which is capable of supplying significant amounts of alfalfa while maintaining a pleasant appearance and taste.